August 21, 2011
Syrian Revolution News Round-up
Day 159: Saturday, 20 Aug 2011
Day 159: Saturday, 20 Aug 2011
In Lattakia, Addounia and Syrian TV stations visited Raml Janubi today to film the "peacefulness" of the area after security forces cleaned the Raml Square area and relocated the locals in preparation for an UNRWA visit. The TV stations filmed the square after security forces scrubbed the blood off the streets and planted flowers to exhibit the area as a generic sample of camp’s alleys. Passersby were forced to stop for "spontaneous" interviews to talk about how peaceful and calm the neighborhood had become, thanks to the honorable security officers who came in and purged all terrorist elements. Following this, the UNRWA committee visited and was escorted by security officers to the same square that was filmed, even though the UNRWA desired to visit the torn apart Yafa area. It is noted that Yousef Bin Nadaf School in Raml still holds dozens of incarcerated teenagers and young men. Security forces have also launched a new house-to-house search and arrest campaign in Qnaines, Bustan Seidawi, and in the village of Salma where more than 20 Palestinian refugees were detained. In spite of all that repressive tactics, demonstrators still took to the streets in Sleibeh, Berqidar, and Bustan Seidawi.
The city of Homs underwent a military operation with heavy shelling and constant fire at most of its neighborhoods, accompanied by an outage of electricity and communications. More than 30 tanks invaded the city targeting Ghuta, Bab Sbaa, Bab Amr, Khaldiya, Inshaat, Sultaniya, Jobar, and Hoola. According to insiders, the city was invaded by divisions 11 and 18, with some security forces and offensive choppers, which were dispatched to eliminate the defected Khaled Bin Waleed battalion that took out some shabbiha checkpoints in Homs in the past two days.
As for Daraa, the town of Inkhel was besieged by security forces which imposed a curfew on all areas of the city after setting up roadblocks at all the main roads. As for Ghabagheb, the demonstrators are still suffering from live gunfire and random arrests.
Tanks were spotted in Aleppo at Sakhour with more seen heading towards Deir Azzour after the alleged withdrawal, and some were seen in Harasta in the suburb of Damascus by the Autos Administration building. It seems the Assad regime will continue intensifying its crackdown – particularly in Damascus and Aleppo – hoping it would drag the peaceful demonstrators into violent resistance. However, all of its attempts have failed thus far and have only managed to further isolate it internationally. This week, Switzerland withdrew its ambassador to Syria, and more European countries are expected to follow suit as European diplomats have declared that the Union is planning more sanctions against the Assad regime to include the oil sector and twenty regime figures.
In the meanwhile, an opposition meeting in Istanbul was initiated to launch the Syrian National Council that would support the revolution against the Assads; many countries praised the unity of the opposition figures. While on the inside, local committees formed a united general commission to coordinate their work on ground. Soon, one unified body will emerge representing all Syrian opposition from grassroots to figures.
Revolution Statistics
Syrians killed: 2,622
Civilian casualties: 2,228
Army casualties: 394
Missing: 3,059
Protestors killed under torture: 53
Protestors currently incarcerated: Around 15,000
Syrian refugees since the revolution: +12,577
Refugees in Turkey: 10,227
Refugees in Lebanon: 2,300
Prepared by
Ausama Monajed and others
The city of Homs underwent a military operation with heavy shelling and constant fire at most of its neighborhoods, accompanied by an outage of electricity and communications. More than 30 tanks invaded the city targeting Ghuta, Bab Sbaa, Bab Amr, Khaldiya, Inshaat, Sultaniya, Jobar, and Hoola. According to insiders, the city was invaded by divisions 11 and 18, with some security forces and offensive choppers, which were dispatched to eliminate the defected Khaled Bin Waleed battalion that took out some shabbiha checkpoints in Homs in the past two days.
As for Daraa, the town of Inkhel was besieged by security forces which imposed a curfew on all areas of the city after setting up roadblocks at all the main roads. As for Ghabagheb, the demonstrators are still suffering from live gunfire and random arrests.
Tanks were spotted in Aleppo at Sakhour with more seen heading towards Deir Azzour after the alleged withdrawal, and some were seen in Harasta in the suburb of Damascus by the Autos Administration building. It seems the Assad regime will continue intensifying its crackdown – particularly in Damascus and Aleppo – hoping it would drag the peaceful demonstrators into violent resistance. However, all of its attempts have failed thus far and have only managed to further isolate it internationally. This week, Switzerland withdrew its ambassador to Syria, and more European countries are expected to follow suit as European diplomats have declared that the Union is planning more sanctions against the Assad regime to include the oil sector and twenty regime figures.
In the meanwhile, an opposition meeting in Istanbul was initiated to launch the Syrian National Council that would support the revolution against the Assads; many countries praised the unity of the opposition figures. While on the inside, local committees formed a united general commission to coordinate their work on ground. Soon, one unified body will emerge representing all Syrian opposition from grassroots to figures.
Revolution Statistics
Syrians killed: 2,622
Civilian casualties: 2,228
Army casualties: 394
Missing: 3,059
Protestors killed under torture: 53
Protestors currently incarcerated: Around 15,000
Syrian refugees since the revolution: +12,577
Refugees in Turkey: 10,227
Refugees in Lebanon: 2,300
Prepared by
Ausama Monajed and others
